The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, has called on the Iranian authorities "to manage the wave of demonstrations taking place in the country with care so as not to aggravate the violence and unrest" and to investigate the deaths that have occurred so far.
"I am deeply disturbed by reports that more than 20 people, including an 11-year-old boy, have died and hundreds have been arrested in the recent wave of protests in Iran."
"The Iranian authorities must respect the rights of all demonstrators and detainees, including their right to life, and guarantee their safety and security. All acts of violence must be thoroughly, independently and impartially investigated, and the authorities must make a concerted effort to ensure that all security forces respond in a manner that is proportionate, strictly necessary and in full compliance with international law", he added.
The human rights chief stressed that Iranian citizens who take to the streets to express their discontent have the right to be heard, and that the issues they raise should be resolved through dialogue, with full respect for freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
"It is incumbent on the authorities to ensure that their actions do not provoke an escalation of violence, as happened in 2009," warned Mr. Zeid. "The authorities must take all measures to ensure that this does not happen again."
The High Commissioner urged the authorities to release all demonstrators who have been arbitrarily deprived of their freedom or penalized in any way for expressing their opinions and protesting peacefully.
"Peaceful demonstrations must not be criminalized"..." They are a legitimate part of the democratic process." Zeid Al Hussein, High Commissioner for Human Rights
For his part, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, "deplores the loss of life during demonstrations". He urges that the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression be respected, and that all demonstrations take place peacefully.